Dish drying apparatus



Aug. 14, 1956 c. STANN DISH DRYING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1955 INVENTOR.

63 /5375? my/v 32 14/5 Arrow/Ex United States Patent DISH DRYING APPARATUS Chester Stann, Skokie, 111.

Application April 21, 1955, Serial No.- 502,982

Claims. (Cl. 34-53) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dish drying apparatus and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efiicient in use and economical in manufacture.

summarily, an important object of this invention isto provide an automatic dryer of a portable construction which permits the dryer to be placed upon the apron of a sink or the like, to receive washed dishes placed in. a basket movably extended from the dryer and positioned therein in the path of heated air to accomplish the drying operation. After the drying operation has been completed, the drying apparatus may be easily cleaned and stored away for future use.

Another object of equal importance is the provision of an automatic drying apparatus which is provided with means for draining rinsing water or the like from within the dryer into the sink when the dryer is placed upon the apron of the sink.

Still another and equally important objectof my invention is the provision in an apparatus of this character of an automatic timing device for regulating the period of operation thereof.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which is highly sanitary in operation and results in placing the dried dishes in a desired hygienic condition. Such. an apparatus eliminates the need for dish towels and the labor involved. in maintaining such towels in proper condition for use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my invention. mounted upon a sink;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention showing the dryer basket in extended position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional detail view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail viewtaken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a latch embodied in the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit of my device.

As before indicated, one of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an automatic dish dryer which is portable in nature and which may be mounted upon the apron of a sink to position the basket there when the latter is in extended position over the sink to receive the dishes and the like to be dried, and in which position of the dryer the rinsing water or the like will drain directly from the dryer into the sink.

To accomplish this and other objects of the invention I provide a drying apparatus which comprises a cabinet 10 having an open front wall 11 and a perforated rear wall 12. The open front 11 of the cabinet 10is adapted to be closed by a door 13. This door 13 is associated with the cabinet 10 whereby it can be moved from closed position with respect to the opening 11 to an overhead position within the cabinet 10. This is accomplished by providing opposed guide tracks 14 on the opposite side walls 15 of the cabinet 10 and within the latter. Pivotally connected to the door adjacent its upper edge portion at 16 are rollers 17 which ride in the tracks 14. To guide the movement of the door 13 to open position, I connect to the lower end portion of the door as at 14 oppositely disposed guide rods 15', the upper ends of which are curved as at 16' and slidably move through suitable eyelets 17' carried by the opposite walls 15.

A forarninated basket is indicated at 18. This basket may be formed of any suitable material and may be provided in its interior with holding racks 10 for the dishes and other kitchen utensils or cutlery.

This basket 18 is slidably supported for movement into and out of the cabinet 10. This is accomplished by supporting the basket through the medium of oppositely disposed tracks 19. Each track comprises track sections 20 and 21, the track section 20 being connected to the adjacent side wall 15, while the track section 21 is connected to the side of the basket 18 in any suitable manner. Rollers 22 are carried by the side walls 15 and operate within the track section 21 while rollers 23 are carried by the basket 18 and operate in the track section 20. Such an arrangement reduces friction and permits the basket to be moved from and into the cabinet 10 with the least degree of effort.

On each of the side walls 15 there is pivotally supported a latch bar 24 having angled end portions 25 and 25' and each of the track sections 21 is provided with a stop 26 which is adapted to engage the angled end portion 25 to cooperate therewith to releasably latch the basket within the cabinet. The angled end portion 25' serves as a finger piece to facilitate disengaging the angled end portion 25 from the stop 26.

Within the cabinet 10 adjacent to and in spaced relation with respect to the rear wall 12 is a partition 27 perforated as at 28, the perforations being .in the form of elongated slots. This partition guards the bakset from being moved into contact with a heating unit 28 arranged within the cabinet 10 to the rear of the partition 27. Within the space provided between the partition 27 and the rear wall 12 of the cabinet is an electric fan 29, which draws air in through the perforated rear wall 12, forces the same through the heating unit 28 and the perforations 28 over the basket 18 and its contents. The top and side edges of the door 13 are closely fitted to the adjacent edge of the opening 11 to prevent escape of the circulating heated air, and thus permitting circulation of this heated air through the cabinet 10.

The heating unit 28 is controlled by a standard electrical timer 30 of any approved construction. The circuit to the electric fan 29 is controlled by thi timer so as to automatically turn off the heater unit after a predetermined lapse of time necessary for the drying operation. Such time may be varied according to the amout of dishes to be dried.

To complete the invention, I provide a drain board 31 formed of any suitable material. This drain board is pan-shaped as shown and has at its one end a depend ing lip 32 whereby when the cabinet 10 is mounted upon an apron 33 of a sink 34, rinse water or the like from the basket 18 will be drained by the drain board 31 back into the sink 34, it being pointed out that the drain surfaces 33' of the board 31 is tapered downwardly and outwardly with respect to the cabinet 10. This drain board may be provided with ridges 31 which will I define passages for the rinse water as it passes thereover. It should also be noted that the heated air may pass from within the cabinet it} through these passages extending under the lower edge of the door 13. Such movement of the air will assist in draining any excess water out of the cabinet it) back into the sink 34.

In use, the cabinet 10 is preferably mounted on the apron 33 of the sink 34 with the lip 32 of the drain board 31 disposed over the sink 3 4.

The basket 18, after the door 13 has been opened, is drawn out from within the cabinet 1%. The dishes and other kitchen utensils are placed in the basket after they have been properly washed and rinsed. The basket with its contents is then moved back into the cabinet 10 and the door 13 thereof closed, there being provided a suitable finger notch 13' to facilitate opening of the door 13. Upon closing of the door, the timer 3 is set to control the energization of the heating unit 28 for any desired length of time. The fan 29 is caused to operate, to blow air through the heating unit 28 over and through the basket 18, to effect the operation of the drying of the dishes and other kitchen utensils in the basket. The timer 30 will automatically deenergize the heating unit 28 and the fan 29 when its set time cycle has ended. When the drying operation has been completed, the basket may be drawn out from the cabinet 1i) and the dishes and other contents thereof removed therefrom.

The portable nature of the drying apparatus permits the same to be stored away when not in use. If it is desired, my apparatus is so constructed that it may be kept in its operative position on the sink and the dishes may be temporarily stored therein, out of view, and in a sanitary condition.

It will be apparent that drying apparatus may be manufactured at an economical cost and of a size especially adaptable for domestic purposes as well as for commercial purposes.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A drying apparatus comprising a cabinet having an open front and a perforated end wall, a foraminated basket, means connecting said basket to said cabinet for movement from and into said cabinet through said open front and for supporting said basket in an extended position from said cabinet, a perforated partition in said cabinet to the rear of the basket when the latter is positioned in said cabinet, a door normally closing the open front, means movably connecting the door to the cabinet for movement within the cabinet to a position over the basket when the latter is in said cabinet, a heating unit between said partition and said perforated end wall, means for drawing air through said perforated end wall into said cabinet and for forcing the same into contact with said heating unit for movement through said partition and over and around said basket, and a control means for automatically controlling the operation of said heating unit and said last-named means.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a cabinet having an open front wall and a perforated end wall, a foraminated basket, means connecting said basket to said cabinet for movement from and into said cabinet through said open front and for supporting said basket in an extended position from the cabinet, a door normally closing the open front, means movably connecting the door to the cabinet for movement within the cabinet to a position over the basket when the latter is in said cabinet, a heating unit within said cabinet, means for drawing air through said perforated end wall into said cabinet and for forcing the same into contact with said heating unit for movement over and around said basket, and a control means for automatically controlling the operation of said heating unit and said last-named means.

3. A portable drying apparatus comprising a cabinet having an open front and a perforated end wall, a foraminated basket, means connecting said basket to said cabinet for movement from and into said cabinet through said open front and for supporting said basket in an extended position from the cabinet, a perforated partition in said cabinet to the rear of the basket when the latter is positioned in said cabinet, a door normally closing the open front, means movably connecting the door to the cabinet for movement within the cabinet to a position over the basket when the latter is in said cabinet, a heating unit between said partition and said perforated end wall, means for drawing air through said perforated end wall into said cabinet and for forcing the same into contact with said heating unit for movement through said partition and over and around said basket, a timer unit for automatically conrolling he period of operation of said heating unit and said last-named means, and a drain board in said cabinet upon the bottom Wall thereof.

4. A portable drying apparatus comprising a cabinet having an open front wall and a perforated end wall, a foraminated basket, means connecting said basket to said cabinet for movement from and into said cabinet through said open front and for supporting said basket in an extended position from the cabinet, at door normally closing the open front, means movably connecting the door to the cabinet for movement within the cabinet to a position over the basket when the latter is in the cabinet, a heating unit within said cabinet, means for drawing air through said perforated end wall into said cabinet and for forcing the same into contact with said heating unit for movement over and around said basket, a timer unit for automatically controlling the period of operation of said heating unit and said last-named means, and a drain board in said cabinet upon the bottom wall thereof.

5. A drying apparatus comprising a cabinet having an open front and a perforated end wall, a foraminated basket, means connecting said basket to said cabinet for movement from and into said cabinet through said open front, a perforated partition in said cabinet to the rear of the basket when the latter is positioned in said cabinet, a door normally closing the open front, means movably connecting the door to the cabinet for movement within the cabinet to a position over the basket when the latter is in said cabinet, a heating unit between said partition and said perforated end wall, means for drawing air through said perforated end wall into said cabinet and for forcing the same into contact with said heating unit for movement through said partition and over and around said basket, and a timer unit for automatically controlling the period of operation of said heating unit and said lastnamed means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,256 Nielsen Mar. 1, 1932 2,412,407 Kilbury Dec. 10, 1946 2,698,894 Stein Jan. 4, 1955 

